Effective photovoltaic (PV) module encapsulation is central to the long-term reliability, extended functional device lifetime, and consumer safety required for the cost-effective large scale deployment of solar PV technology. Failure or degradation of encapsulant coatings protecting sensitive PV materials and electronics from environmental exposure is a leading cause of PV degradation and failure. Currently used glass barriers suffer from cracking or poor sealing and are not suitable for flexible applications. Current polymer encapsulants, such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) in particular, are prone to degradation into harmful corrosive acid byproducts, discoloration, delamination, and unacceptable ingress of moisture, oxygen, and other corrosive gases that lead to secondary module component degradation. These encapsulant-related problems decrease PV power production, reduce module lifetimes, and introduce additional operational and maintenance costs, all of which threaten critical cost measures such as levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Similar barrier problems also limit the lifetime and performance of light emitting diodes (LEDs).
Therefore, a need remains for a low-cost, optically transparent, electrically insulating, highly impermeable thin film coating for PV and LED applications.